By Eliza Power
The demand for highly skilled technology professionals is growing. With borderless hiring from Africa, companies can access a wealth of skills and expertise, driving their own success while supporting a cohort of technologists eager to learn. Since 2014, Andela has led the charge in tapping into Africa’s rich community of talented developers and engineers, positioning the continent as a key player in the global tech landscape.
In October, Andela sponsored Moonshot by TechCabal 2024 in Lagos, a showcase of technology expertise across Africa, featuring innovators from fintech, commerce, AI, cloud, and other sectors. MoonShot helps to connect Africa’s tech industry in person, across two days, offering founders, business leaders and startups the opportunity to network, collaborate, share insights, promote their products, and celebrate talent on the continent.
Jeremy Johnson, Andela’s co-founder and board member, delivered a compelling keynote speech at MoonShot Lagos, outlining Andela’s mission to bridge the gap between Africa’s untapped talent and the world’s tech companies who require their expert skills; a mission that accelerates growth not only across Africa, but throughout the entire global tech ecosystem.
Themed “Building for the World,” MoonShot’s core focus is to encourage Africa’s tech leaders to build innovative solutions to solve problems across the continent; and this is where Africa’s technologists come in.
We invited two members from our community –— Omotayo Ikudayisi and Fehintoluwa Dahunsi –— to represent Andela at MoonShot, with their experiences as technologists offering a deeper insight into the event’s impact on the tech ecosystem and providing a window into the future of technology in Africa. Engaging with the vibrant tech community, they witnessed firsthand the convergence of ideas, people, and products that are the backbone of today’s tech industry in Africa. Omotayo considers MoonShot ‘a real’ Africa tech marketplace. “It is the place to be for African tech leaders and policy makers to shop for digital solutions that can facilitate the transformation of their governing methodologies, developing policies that encourage innovation.”
Innovative insights and takeaways
As a Lead Data Analyst, Omotayo is passionate about open-source and analyzing the data that goes into developing products, so she was focused on attending sessions that aligned with her tech interests. A particular highlight was Open and Responsible Innovation, led by Sade Dada, Public Policy Manager at Meta, which focused on open-source technological approaches and how they foster growth in the industry. “Embracing openness encourages aspiring developers to grow, and to build safer products and scalable innovations. I learned the most from this session, as this technology paves the way for other people to learn.”
AI’s impact on the health industry was another key session topic for Omotayo, after recently completing an Andela course in AI and Machine Learning. “The integration of AI in healthcare shows how data can revolutionize patient care, and this session really highlighted the importance of using available data to build tools that address health issues effectively.” Fehintoluwa, a QA Engineer, agrees “AI cannot be discounted as a mere ‘curio’ anymore. It is a force that is here to stay, and Africa could have a competitive advantage in developing AI talent because of its very large, tech savvy, young population.”
Fehintoluwa was overwhelmed by the number of insightful sessions available to him at MoonShot. “The caliber of speakers was top notch. A melting pot of who’s who in the African tech industry. The panels gave such value for time, it was a struggle to pick which ones to attend.”
Patient Capital for Africa’s Tech Growth, led by Emeka Ajene, Mobola Da-silva, June Angelides, and Oti Ilentamhen, proved to be Fehintoluwa’s favorite session, discussing the diverse nature of investments and aligning them with business objectives. “This was chock-full of so much wisdom for builders and founders! I learnt that not all investments are created equal for a startup, for example, the pressure and goals of a venture capital fund with 10 years to return a profit to investors would be different from say, a sovereign fund or climate-focused fund. It means that startups must research the funds they are considering for capital as much as those funds would be studying them.”
Expanding the Africa Tech community
Networking was a highlight of MoonShot Lagos for both Omotayo and Fehintoluwa, who had the opportunity to reconnect with Andela alumni, and to meet key influential figures from the wider tech industry. Omotayo was thrilled to reconnect with Rotimi Okungbaye, an Andela alumni, while exploring the conference. “Making these connections, including meeting up with Rotimi, reinforces the real sense of community and the shared goals we all have within the technology space.”
Fehintoluwa’s encounter with Raenest, a startup comprised of Andela alumni in leadership roles, highlighted the reach and influence of Andela’s network, and proved the importance of connecting with the wider tech community. “I believe that if all you do in an event like this is attend the sessions and leave, you might as well stream online. It’s important to talk to people, not only to strengthen professional ties but also share new learnings.”
Embodying the “true Naija spirit”
After two days at the event, Omotayo and Fehintoluwa considered MoonShot to be a vibrant mix of “true Naija spirit” and ambition. “It was all about hustle,” Fehintoluwa commented. “Everybody was there to source funding, potential customers, and clients. One guy probably spoke to everyone remotely affiliated with investing in that event! I had to respect his grit and determination.”
Why events like MoonShot matter
Events like MoonShot are vital for the tech community, as they provide a platform for technologists to stay informed, network, and gain visibility, as well as celebrating Africa’s tech potential. The exchange of ideas, coupled with access to industry leaders and investors, accelerates the growth and evolution of tech in Africa. “Technologists should attend events such as this to get informed and involved in what can, will, or should be done in the tech space,” says Omotayo. “It helps to fuel or refuel their new ideas; to network, find collaborations, and partnerships. But most of all, to inspire others and have fun!”
